‘Deport me and I die’

Farhat Khan with supporters hands in a 10,000 signature petition against her deportation

Share

Get daily updates directly to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email

A MANCHESTER based asylum seeker says she will become the victim of an 'honour killing' if she is forced to return to Pakistan. Mother-of-five Farhat Khan, aged 52 from Cheetham fled from her abusive husband in Pakistan with her children to England three years ago and claimed asylum. But after losing an appeal against deportation she fears if she is forced back to Pakistan her husband will kill her for 'dishonouring' his name and beat her children. Farhat is from the North West Frontier province of Pakistan where the 'honour' custom is common allowing violent retribution on women who challenge their husbands or male relatives authority. Farhat claims she suffered 10 years of physical abuse from her husband. When he also started mistreating her children she decided it was time to leave the country. Said Farhat: "In Pakistan, I was working for non-government organisations helping women in similar situations yet I couldn't help myself. "Going to work was a huge problem as my husband did not want me to be out and earning because he felt I was bringing shame to the family. "They tried to stop me by beating me and locking me up and if I went out people would follow me. "My husband is a rich businessman who splits his time between Pakistan and America, but even when he wasn't around, his family were under strict instructions to "keep me in line". "I was getting abuse from everybody. But most of all my children were unhappy, as they also became victims of domestic violence. I could handle it on myself, but not on my children." Farhat said he was possessive over her daughters and would not let them out of the house or go to school because they will come into contact with men who were not relatives. The final straw for Farhat was when her husband decided to marry his two daughters, aged five and eight, to their cousins. During one of her husband's visits to America, she took her chance to leave. She said: "With my husband around it was impossible for me to flee, so I waited until he left for America and with the help of friends I came to England. "My husband found out I was here and he has threatened me over the phone. I'm in constant fear that I will wake up one morning and he will be here. Even though I am far away I still feel unsafe." To add to Farhat's problems, her permission to work has been withdrawn by the Home Office. After claiming asylum, Farhat chose got a job rather than live on benefits. She received a work permit and was employed as a Urdu/Punjabi speaking advice worker for the Cheetham Hill Advice Centre for nearly two years. Staff at the centre staged an outdoor advice surgery with Farhat to gain support from the community. A petition with almost 10,0000 signatures was presented to north Manchester MP Graham Stringer at Manchester Town Hall to be forwarded to Immigration Minister Des Brown. Said Farhat: "The UK government complains asylum seekers are a burden and are only after state handouts. But I was working, paying taxes, doing voluntary work at the centre and trying to make a difference to the community and the Home Office is forcing me to go back onto benefits. "I will carry on doing voluntary work until my work permit is reinstated."